dy might not od tonight, somebody might not get murdered over drugs tonight or money tonight. (vo)meanwhile officers at the processing center battle through the weather to complete the sweep. >>it's been a successful day. no bad guys or good guys got hurt, so i consider that a good day. a while ago i just received an email that kind of summarizes some of the numbers that we had today. at this point so far we show 130 plus arrests. we show recovery of assorted narcotics being crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin, a large amount of marijuana, meth amphetamine, assorted pills and also six firearms. included in that six firearms we recovered one tech nine machine pistol, which is a very dangerous weapon, if you have to face it on the street. you win today, tomorrow's a new day.

so what we have to do is you know come back tomorrow, put the equipment on again and we go at it again. [♪ theme music ♪] >> bill: good morning my fellow americans. and welcome to the "full court press" here on current tv. great to see you today this thursday january 31st if you

can believe it. we're coming to you live from our nation's capital today bringing you up to date on all of the news of the day. a lot of job changing here in washington, d.c. a big hearing on guns in the senate judiciary committee, another shooting in phoenix, arizona yesterday, even while the hearing on gun control was taking place, and israel during an air strike deep inside of syria. john kerry said farewell to the senate. hilary's final day is tomorrow. and then brennan the next director of the cia, and we have a new senator of massachusetts, mo calen, i'm telling you, you need a program to identify all of the new players around here.

and now for today's current news update early on the west coast here she is lisa ferguson. >> hey bill, good morning, everyone. nothing on the president's public schedule today just his usual daily briefing in the oval office. vice president biden has a relatively open day as well he is at teping a committee lunch at the capitol. as for the president's longer term schedule, though he is calling for immigration reform by year's end and maybe even as early as june. obama spoke with television stations yesterday and said he wants this taken care of within the first half of the year. the president unveiled his proposal for comprehensive immigration reform on tuesday. he said he will let congress consider the senate plan first. sit a bit less liberal than the

president's ideas. if lawmakers won't pass that bill, though, obama will introduce his own, and call on congress to vote immediately. meanwhile members of the house have been crafting their own immigration proposal. like the senate they are working with an at it-person team and could put forth a statement as early as tomorrow. more bill up next. young turks is that we're honest. they know that i'm not bs'ing them with some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know that i'm going to be the first one to call them out. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look what we need are people prepared for the careers of our new

economy. by 2025 we could have 20 million jobs without enough college graduates to fill them. that's why at devry university we're teaming up with companies like cisco to help make sure everyone is ready with the know-how we need for a new tomorrow. [ male announcer ] make sure america's ready. make sure you're ready. at devry.edu/knowhow. ♪ ♪

[♪ theme music ♪] >> announcer: broadcasting across the nation, on your radio, and on current tv this is the "bill press show" >> bill: president obama now

approval rating of 60%. good morning, everybody, great to see you today it is thursday. thursday january 31st. this is the "full court press" how about it? we're coming to you live all across this great land of ours from our studio here on capitol hill, our little radio factory, tv factory book factory, right in the shadow of the capitol dome so we know what is going on here, around the country and around the globe. we'll bring you up to date and give you a chance to sound out about it. you can do so by giving us a call at 866-55-press, that's our toll-free number invite your comments on twitter. i was tweeting away yesterday during that gun-control hearing. you can tweet us this morning

and all day long @bp show and on facebook facebook@billpressshow. this last day of january 2013, lots to cover, lots happening here in our nation's capitol that you will be interested in hearing about and talking about. join the team here this morning one and all. peter ogburn and dan henning. >> hey, hey, hey. >> hey good morning. >> dan i think you need to give up on the giants this season. >> i'm not a fair weather fan. i'm not just going to pull out our ravens hat just because they are in the super bowl. >> bill: why not? >> siprion bolling our

videographer. >> we should point out that phil is really a hard core ravens fan. >> bill: what i like is he doesn't feel he has to wear all of the paraphernalia and propaganda. >> no. >> bill: low-key but loyal. and we talked a lot about the har har -- harbaughs this week. so what are the parents going to do? jack harbaugh a famous coach in his own right and his wife met with reporters yesterday, and said to the extent possible they are just going to divide their loyalties, and i guess they will be there with a winner and loser. >> every single parent can identify with that. and on sunday night we'll

experience both of those great emotions and our thoughts will be with the one that comes up a little short. >> bill: they are going to enjoy the glory of winning and the pain of losing. >> yeah. >> bill: do you think after the game like the whole family will get together? >> i would hope so. >> bill: i would think so. the brothers are really close. >> absolutely go to applebee's have a steak. >> bill: i think they can do a little bit better than that. >> if you go to applebee's in new orleans, you have got problems. >> bill: that's right. we'll talk to mark glaze a little bit later in the show and check with a reporter from the "boston globe" about the new senator from massachusetts and head of the machinists union

will be in studio with us as well. but first -- >> announcer: this is the "full court press." >> the pornography committee is praying today as ron jeremy is in the hospital with an aneurysm. >> bill: stop. stop. the pornography commute tee is not praying. they may be down on their knees -- oh never mind. >> he drove himself to the hospital with chest pains. he has emergency surgery. he has acted in several thousand films. >> what physical activity could he have been going through -- >> bill: do you think there will be crowds in front of the

hospital? >> while ray lewis is denying using deer antler spray to heel an injury, b.j. sing is admitting to using it. he said he had no idea he had substances banned under the pga's policy. >> bill: this is so silly, the idea that anybody would believe deer antler spray would kill anything. >> yeah, i had never heard of this. >> bill: it's crazy. >> i don't know if it works or not -- >> bill: it doesn't work. i mean do deers have ticks? yeah, they have diseases right? well, they have antlers too. >> good point. >> bill: thank you. thank you. it's the logic that wins every

time. >> a major update -- [ laughter ] >> a major update from the folks behind the blackberry research in motion introduced two new smartphones and new operating system yesterday trying to compete with apple's iphone. they are also changing the company's name. the name now is simply blackberry. the new phones have video chat capability and dual home screen options. you can lock up the business side and keep it secure while using the personal side. >> i think this is so dumb. if you want an iphone you'll get an iphone and the blackberry has always been something completely different. plus every year you get news about how all of blackberry's service has just completely stopped working.

>> bill: blackberry is on its way out. can you buy this at cvs, this deer spray? >> i have never seen it. >> bill: maybe we should try. i think you go to an asian off -- you know kind of -- where they use herbs and stuff -- alternative medicine. >> you can buy it on amazon i'm looking it right now. health and personal care. i have a nagging neck injury. i could get some of this and we'll see if it works. currently unavailable. >> bill: huh oh. bj bought it all up. so i was on the scene yesterday, i went to the hearing. let the games begin, the big battle on gun control. it started yesterday a special

hearing of the senate judiciary committee on the second floor of the hart senate office building. there were over 200 people in the audience. i was writing down the names of the senator as they came in connecticut, delaware alabama, chairman leahy, chuck grassley orrin hatch, jeff from arizona, ted cruz from texas, shelton whitehouse, and lindsay graham from south carolina. the hearing began with a very very dramatic moment when former congress woman gabby giffords came inest forted by the

chairman, chuck grassley, and her husband, mark kelly. she was asked to give the very first words at the hearing before anybody else spoke. she did so only 72 words, very moving powerful and halting speech, because she still has a long way to go with her recovery. >> violence is a big problem. too many children are dying. too many children. we must do something. >> bill: it was all carefully laid out. she had obviously rehearsed it and it really does sound like a first grader right? reading aloud in the class. >> yeah, she had to relearn how to speak. >> bill: she looked these senator right in the eye and said, you know look we need

you. >> you must act. be bold, be courageous. americans are counting on you. >> bill: seventy-two words every one counted for sure. then the chairman opened with his statement calling on everybody to be open-minded. try to come to some solution the high road, patrick leahy took, and then chuck grassley got up and he lit into a big attack on president obama, and then he went after -- after the idea that we should do anything to ban or curtail these high-capacity magazines. after all, you know, come on he said i'm a hunter. >> we hear that no one needs to carry larger magazines forhunters, but an attacking

criminal unlike a deer shoots back. >> bill: oh yeah. >> those deers. do you remember a couple of months ago he sent out that weird tweet about how he and his friend hit a deer. >> bill: yes. there were a panel of five people. there were three -- i don't know why because the democrats control the hearing. out of five there were two who were there reasonable -- for reasonable control measures, there were three who were nuts -- who were totally pro gun. a woman named gail trotter from denver university, david couple and wayne lapierre from the nra. on the other side mark kelly, gabby giffords's husband former astronaut, and sheriff captain james johnson from baltimore

county in full uniform. both kelly and johnson spoke about the need for background checks especially captain johnson saying -- telling the senator, stand with law enforcement. i'm here representing ah law enforcement officers across this country. we are out gunned today. we need the guns. people should not have easy access to them, stand with us for banning assault weapons. they have supported the feinstein bill and for background checks. but then the other side got up -- this woman gail trotter said that every mother needs an ak-15 in her home to protect her kids with all of the high-capacity magazines she can get. this guy coppel said you can't have background checks because then the government will know where every gun is and they will come to your door and seize them.

and then wayne lapierre, their whole solution is let's make every school an armed camp. >> it's time to throw an immediate blanket of security around our children. about a third of our schools right now have armed security already, because it works, and that number is growing every day. >> bill: and all of the republican senator -- obviously they all got the same talking points. and that was we don't need any new laws background checks don't work you shouldn't ban assault weapons or high-capacity magazines. we just need to enforce the existing laws and stop mentally ill people from buying guns. that's obviously not enough. so there are three -- i want to know from you. do you think we're going to get anything done on this issue? there are three things that have

to happen, tighten up the background checks, banning high-capacity magazines and banning those weapons of war and assault weapons, all of the logic is we have got to do those three things. why not? do you think we'll get it done after what you heard and saw yesterday? 866-55-press 866-557-7377. if not now when? >> announcer: this is the "bill press show," live on your radio and current tv. ♪ thinking. >>ok, so there's wiggle room in the ten commandments, that's what you're saying. (vo) she's joy behar. >>current will let me say

but when joint pain and stiffness from psoriatic arthritis hit even the smallest things became difficult. i finally understood what serious joint pain is like. i talked to my rheumatologist and he prescribed enbrel. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, and stop joint damage. because enbrel, etanercept suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections tuberculosis lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores have had hepatitis b have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. [ phil ] get back to the things that matter most. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. [ doctor ] enbrel, the number one biologic medicine prescribed by rheumatologists.

we have a big big hour and the iq will go way up. (vo) current tv gets the converstion started weekdays at 9am eastern. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. >> you are. >> the troops love me. (vo) tv and radio talk show host stephanie miller rounds out current's morning news block. >> you're welcome current tv audience for the visual candy. just be grateful current tv does not come in smellivision. the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv. ♪ >> announcer: heard around the country, and seen on current tv

this is the "bill press show." >> bill: all right. twenty-five minutes after the hour now. by the way, one thing these guys do is they throw up a big smoke screen. for example, wayne lapierre testified yesterday -- he is under oath, right? so he testifies that last year there were -- last year -- 76,000 people denied from purchasing a gun in background checks because they had a criminal background and yet only 62% -- 62 rather, 62 total were prosecuted. so he and jeff sessions and others were saying -- and chuck grassley, were saying we need to call the attorney general in here and find out why he is not enforcing the law. sheldon whitehouse the senator from rhode island said i prosecuted a lot of these cases when i was in rhode island, so i

checked the statistics myself. and actually last year, there were 11,700 cases prosecuted. so he says to wayne lapierre that's far from 62 and wayne lapierre says ah -- ah -- ah -- ah -- 62 -- i meant that was just the city of chicago. >> those facts they will get you every time. >> bill: yeah which is probably by the way even low for chicago. and then this woman who said every woman needed an ak-whatever in her home. she talked about this one case where this guy broke in she is in the closet with her kids and she calls her husband and he said shoot, and she shot and wounded the guy. and the gun she has is not

banned by senator feinstein's bill. they are lying sobs. ike is down in charleston south carolina. hi, ike. >> caller: hey, brother, i'll get straight to the point. until one of these politicians or until people wake up and realize that we need the australian method to be put into effect, give these people two years to have their guns bought back by the government and after the two-year period if you get caught with a high-capacity round magazine or one of these weapons, it's a big fine we'll take your house, we'll take your assets and throw you in jail for ten years. and if you are going to grandfather these weapons in you are not going to solve the problem. you are not going to solve the problem unless you get real about it.

>> bill: all i got to say is why isn't ike the senator from south carolina. >> i'm telling you. >> bill: instead of tim scott and lindsay graham. he makes more sens than both of those guys put together. ike for governor of south carolina. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." ♪ armed with the facts, and the arguments to feel confident in their positions. i want them to have the data and i want them to have the passion. but it's also about telling them, you're put on this planet for something more. i want this show to have an impact beyond just informing. an impact that gets people to take action themselves. as a human being, that's really important. this is not just a spectator sport.

♪ yeah, yeah ♪ >> announcer: chatting with you live at current.com/billpress. >> stephanie: thirty-three minutes after the hour here already on a thursday morning.

coming to you live from your nation's capitol on sirius xm this hour only sorry that's all they give us. and on current tv. we're talking about the big hearing yesterday in the senate judiciary committee, which is obviously going to be an uphill battle to get anything done on gun control, certainly on the three most important measures. why should this be so difficult, when the need is so obvious? 866-55-press, and when doing those things will in no way interfere with america's second amendment rights. back to your calls in just a second. but first how much extra money do you need to earn each month. you have been asking yourself that question maybe you need a

little help, you ought to check out the folks at incomeathome.com. now giving you an opportunity that you can take advantage of, no matter your age, education, or experience. you can literally earn money from your own kitchen table, and do it 24/7. at least check it out. if you are sick of living paycheck to paycheck. if your goal has always been to earn extra money from homer part-time, or what the hell even full-time. are adding my listeners in record numbers. visit incomeathome.com that's incomeathome.com. peter, before we move on on this topic on social media. >> you talked about lindsay

graham a little while ago. yesterday he said if we reduce these magazine clips to six bullets, six bullets might not be enough for a mother to save her children. >> bill: right. you might run out of ammo. >> and the insinuation that by reforming gun laws we're putting america's children in danger. barkway say i'm amused by this gun makes women safe while they oppose violence against women and women in combat. >> bill: right. >> fred says it's the fault of congress in action. and donald says no background checks for guns but id is needed to exercise your right to vote.

am i missing something here. >> bill: yes. you know, it's not just one issue that's up in front of the congress this year, of course, they are dealing with a lot of things. they have the fiscal cliff, the sequester, and the budget that is going to come to a head certainly next month or the beginning of march, and meanwhile immigration reform has probably gotten more at attention this week. yesterday -- and we're starting to see -- we know the -- going back a couple of days. this gang of eight, so-called, four democratic senator, chuck schumer, dick durbin, bob menendez and [ inaudible ] from colorado joining four republican senator lead by lindsay graham, jeff flake from arizona, and the fourth republican -- i'll get it. just blanking on it.

at any rate they came up with their plan and outline of principles for immigration reform. john mccain is saying we have to do this because we lost our ass in the last election and unless we change we are never going to win the white house back. and marco rubio is the fourth from florida, right? >> uh-huh. >> bill: david vider doesn't guy that. and says when rubio says we have to do something about the 11 million people who live here and we ought to give them some path to citizenship. david vider says marco rubio

doesn't know what he is talking about. >> i love and respect marco rubio, but he is just amazingly naive on this front. of course the promises of enforcement never materialize the amnesty happens immediately. the millisecond the bill is signed into the law. >> bill: what he was talking about is 1986. who was president? ronald reagan, right? and what did ronald reagan do? he gave amnesty to 3 million latinos who were living here illegally, and i don't have the exact quote memorized but reagan said at the time i totally support amnesty for these people who are good-law-abiding members

of their community even if they may have at one time come here illegally. it is interesting -- there is a column on this that will be posted later today. if you look back at ronald reagan, the conservative icon right? he raised taxes, seven out of eight years that he was president. he supported a ban on assault weapons. he supported and signed a bill creating amnesty for 3 million people who came here illegally. >> what a liberal. >> bill: if republicans -- ronald reagan could not get elected in the republican primary today and i just wish that -- not that i'm a great big fan of ronald reagan. but i wish republicans would just stop worshipping ronald reagan and start following him, start imitating him, and get that practical side to problem

solving that ronald reagan did have. and he did support a ban on assault weapons, and in fact president obama quoted ronald reagan when he introduced his own gun-control measures. so immigration still probably going to happen before gun control, but the gun control battle has definitely joined after yesterday's hearing. bill joining us how are you? >> caller: hey, bill i just wanted to echo what ike said from charleston. >> bill: yeah. >> caller: and in addition to that -- >> bill: by the way it is amazing, isn't it? that australia -- you think of australia as kind of a backward country. a formal penile country and everything, and they had a mass shooting, and they said no no,

no. anded they had a weapons ban, and they have not had a mass murder since. >> caller: exactly. i think all of these manufacturers that manufacture weapons for standard military issue or police issue -- >> bill: yeah. >> caller: -- they should be fined -- or it should be illegal to modify them in any way to sell to the public. >> bill: bill, that's a good point. i hope that's in the feinstein legislation. she made this point yesterday that they exempt something like 2,000 different kinds of guns and they name specifically and ban like 150 or 160. i may have my numbers a little bit off, but it's that wide the difference, but i would hope with those ones that are really

banned that there will also be a provision that says that the manufacturers cannot tamper with them in order to get around the ban. we'll see when she lays out her legislation. john calling from tampa, florida. >> caller: good morning, i just had a comment with those two gentlemen who talked about australia. we're not australians, we're americans. and we have a constitution. if they want to live that way and move there, more power to them. i am in combat and i have seen weapons from large caliber to small caliber who can fire as many rounds as -- >> bill: that's because they have a high-capacity magazine right? >> caller: but if you are well trained, you can drop a 15-round

magazine, and shoot maybe 15 seconds slower than a 30-round. so it doesn't matter what capacity the magazine is. >> bill: say, john, i appreciate your call, but, you know, you are out to lunch. ask the parentings of 20 6 year olds in newtown. some of whom had 11 bullets in them. get your head out of your ass. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show."

(vo) she gets the comedians laughing and the thinkers thinking. >>ok, so there's wiggle room in the ten commandments, that's what you're saying. (vo) she's joy behar. >>current will let me say anything. ♪ >> announcer: this is the "full court press," the "bill press

show," live on your radio, and on current tv. >> bill: here we go, 13 minutes now before the top of the hour. the executive director of mayors against illegal guns will join us from the may -- leading mayor mayors of this country. and then dylan byars will be in. i was at the hearing yesterday in the senate judiciary committee on gun control, and i'm following on twitter, and there's jamal simmons, and a tweet saying congratulations to my friend, mo calen. and i'm thinking who the hell is mo calen and then i realized he was just appointed the next senator from the state of

massachusetts. who is he and what is he all about? nobody knows more about that frank philips from the boston globe. hi, frank. >> good to talk to you, bill. >> bill: so he was former chief of staff for the governor right? >> yes, he just left. the state house knows him very well. >> bill: was it a surprise to you? >> no, the governor made it clear he wanted a woman or person of color. and he wants to continue to break ground. mo has got a lot of respect in the legal committee. lawyers in boston know him, he was with mince levin in boston,

and they think very very highly of him. he has a reputation around the power circles in boston but the general public doesn't know him at all. he was very low profile publicly when he was in the state house. >> bill: it's interesting the speculation about whom he might app point. i never heard mo calen mentioned. i have to ask you what happened to barney frank? >> once barney opened his mouth and said i want it and put the governor in the corner that was it. and barney has a sharp tongue we in the media have felt it but we all admire him and respect him. he is very bright. as partisan as he is he is as

bipartisan. he has worked across the isles. there was a lot of feeling that -- "boston globe" supported barney. but a lot of people felt that he would hit though grown running. he knew the issues. >> bill: sure. >> he knew how to legislate, he knew how to put an amendment on a bill and try to get it through. it seemed very logical. >> bill: it would have been also an historic appointment in the sense of the first openly gay white male in the united states senate. so a friend of mine -- a friend of his told me yesterday that barney's active lobbying for the job may have hurt him. >> oh, that was clearly the

first of the reasons. i don't know behind the scenes he may have given a tongue lashing to the governor behind closed doors. >> bill: right. is cowen saying that -- it's clear he is not going to run, right? >> that was one of the prerequisites that the governor laid down on the job, and cowen is very loyal to him. >> bill: so we know ed marky at least at this point is in. what is scott brown going to do? governor or senator? >> well there's scott brown and then really nobody else. >> bill: yeah. >> he's weighing his options. he has been around talking in the private sector see what he

could get in terms of salary and deals. he has been through two very tough campaigns in the last several years. he faces another tough campaign here, and when he finishes this campaign in june he has to roll into 2014 where they are going to try to go at him again if he were to win for a full term. that's when kerry's term expires. i think that is weighing on his mind. it's an emotionally charged campaign he just came out of and the family is exhausted. so we don't know -- he has to make up his mind within -- early next week, because he has to gather all of the signatures and get this going. >> bill: i don't know this looks to me like holding back and running for governor would be a better choice.

>> he would be a much better candidate for senator. being governor you really have to have your arms around public policy issues and scott is not known for being that deeply involved. >> bill: i have to tell you massachusetts politics it's always interesting and colorful. >> and exhausting too, by the way. >> bill: all right. enjoy the weekend. >> thanks very much. >> bill: frank phillips with the boston globe. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." ♪

(vo) current tv gets the converstion started next. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. >> you are. >> the troops love me. the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv. ♪

>> announcer: take your emails on any topic at anytime, this is the "bill press show," live on your radio and current tv. >> bill: mayors against illegal guns at the top of the next hour. speaking about yesterday's gin hearing, leanne says ms. trotter made it appear that women who do not have big strong men around to protect them need a 1100-round cartridge to protect them. it's insulting that she is representing women. she doesn't represent me or any of my friends. on immigration clyde karr says bill mentioned steps that immigrants have to go through to become citizens. one would be that they have to

pass a civics class. why is that a require since the majority of natural citizens cannot pass such a class. very good question, and of course they have to learn to speak english too, when a good number of american citizens can't speak english either.

[♪ theme music ♪] >> bill: hey, good morning, everybody. what do you say? it is the "full court press" here on current tv. welcome to the program this morning. good to see you, and thank you for joining us. we have got lots to talk about

the news here in our nation's capitol on a lot of different fronts around the country and around the globe. and we want to give you a chance to weigh in and sound off. 866-55-press is how you do it. and a lot of job-changing news in washington. yesterday was john kerry's farewell to the senate. deval patrick appointed mo cowen as his replacement. hillary clinton has her last day tomorrow. you almost need a program to keep up with all of the new players around here. we'll tell you what is going on. but first today's current tv update. good morning, lisa. >> hey bill.

chuck hagel is in for a grilling today. hagel has already met with at least 50 senators and given 112 pages of answers to their policy questions. hagel is faced with a strong campaign against him, attempting to paint him as an anti israel homophobic official. but he turned up the defensive. he said they have a very aggressive strategy moving forward, and thinks hague sell in a good place, but he will still face some tough questions today. after today's senators will still be able to submit their written questions, and they could vote on his nomination as early as next week. on the note of the president's staff picks, he has been widely

criticized for choosing predominantly white males, but yesterday in an interview with univision, obama calls diversity of staff one of his highest priorities. more bill is up after the break. stay with us. these talking points, that the right have, about the "heavy hand of government" ... i want to have that conversation. let's talk about it. really? you're going to lay people off because now the government is going to help you fund your healthcare. really? i want to have those conversations, not to be confrontational, but to understand what the other side is saying, and i'd like to arm our viewers with the ability to argue with their conservative uncle joe over the dinner table.

[♪ theme music ♪] >> announcer: broadcasting across the nation, on your radio, and on current tv this is the "bill press show." >> bill: president obama with a 60% approval rating now. highest of his entire four years

and one month as president. what do you think? he is doing something right. american people finally realizing it. hello, hello, everybody, great to see you today and welcome to the "full court press" here on current tv. on your local progressive talk radio station coming to you live all across this great land of ours, and bringing you up to date on the news of the day whether it is happening here in our nation's capitol, around the globe or around this country. we'll look for your comments on @bpshow. and don't forget the chat room. you can join fellow listeners and viewers of the show by going to current.com and then clicking on the chat room and you are in.

things underway here in -- on the show this morning with our full team in place as always here to serve you peter ogburn here in studio with me, following you on social media. dan henning flying the 747 somewhere there. >> good morning. >> bill: good morning. good morning. phil packer has the phones and siprion bolling on the video. as always, right. so peter what is going on? >> happy to be here. i'm -- it's right around the corner from the super bowl. >> bill: are you excited? have you started the chile yet? >> i have to tell you i cook chile out of a can. i throw the most epic of epic super bowl parties, and it's giant. it's a lot of people from the neighborhood. everybody brings their kids over. what we do is we send all of the

kids down in the basement and we laid sheets out all over the floor, because you know the kids will be spilling and dropping food everywhere and the kids run wild while the adults stay up stair and drink and eat. >> chile? >> no i'm taking wings, pulled pork nachos crispy pig ear lettuce wraps. >> bill: sounds like a great party. >> come on over. >> bill: you want to give your home address out to the world. >> i'm not quite ready to do that yet. >> bill: any deer antlers on the menu? >> no. >> bill: ray lewis -- did do

accuse him of this? >> he had this lingering injury all season -- >> bill: right. and he's yeah -- >> and they say one of the things he used to help himself recover is this spray which is outlawed by the nfl. >> bill: right. and ray lewis says there ain't nothing to it. >> i said it before i said a million times, and the reason why i'm smiling because it's so funny, because i have never ever took what he says or whatever i was supposed to do. >> bill: never, never, never did it. never took it. >> we got a couple of comments about this. we're tweeting @bpshow, a few people said how do you know if the deer suffers from arthritis. >> bill: that's the point i made. deer also have illnesses.

it's like saying deer toenails or something. >> and we were trying to figure out where you find it. we found it on amazon. phil says forget amazon or cvs just go to rock creek park and harvest some yourself for free. >> bill: by the way this is known particularly in the asian world as a cure all. where we live in california they have a real problem of people coming out when deer shed their antlers -- looking for antlers they can take home and make this stuff out of it. and they have had a real problem with rangers keeping -- you are not allowed to pick the flowers

or take the rockers -- >> or the antlers. >> bill: or the antlers. >> i have never tried it. i don't know now. i'm curious to try it. i'm not going to spending $70 for it though. >> bill: all right. coming up a little bit later, dylan byars will be here to talk about the shakeup in senate these days. and we'll talk about what is happening on the jobs front in the next hour. but first -- >> announcer: this is the "full court press." >> on this thursday star statistician nate silver has made his super bowl pick for this coming weekend. he corrected predicted the last two elections, wrote yesterday that he thinks the san francisco

49ers will win. he stopped short of offering a point prediction. some say he should just probably stick to politics. at the start of the season he said the super bowl would feature the seahawks. >> bill: i agree. >> he knows his sports. and the patriots seahawks not a bad guess -- >> bill: he was wrong on both, peter. >> i know. but not a lot of people predicted that the seahawks would have a great season. they predicted they would have a phenomenal season. >> barbara streisand is heading back to the stage at the oscars. shelast sang to the ceremony in

1977, singing "evergreen" from the movie "a star is born." no word on what she will be singing this time. >> bill: she was in some bum movie this year that didn't go anywhere. but she is not singing anything from her own movie -- >> we don't know. she didn't sing anything in any movies this year. >> no, but she'll be singing something. >> adele is going to sing [ inaudible ] on stage from the bond movie and the state of illinois now has one less former governor in prison. former governor george ryan was released from a federal prison. he'll now in live in a halfway house. that makes four illinois governors who have or are currently serving prison time.

>> good lord. illinois. >> bill: this is something that the state of illinois -- every illinoisan can be proud of today. we have one less governor in prison. >> were you driving on the highway and it says now entering illinois, they can change it from two former governors in prison down to one. >> bill: we're on our way back. illinois deserves better. i got to tell you. and folks, yesterday those of you who follow us on twitter know they left the studio and rushed over to the hart senate office building yesterday for the big hearing in the senate judiciary committee on gun safety, gun violence and what we ought to do about it. it was first of all an incredible scene. the big hearing room upstairs -- i think it is the

largester hearing room in the senate. there were over 250 people in the audience. there were probably 100 reports, and then the dais filled with a lot of big names from the senate. i wrote -- was writing them down as they were walking in senator al franken, john cornen diane feinstein, patrick lay hey, chuck grassley ore inhatch. lindsay graham, i might have missed one or two, but it was a pretty powerful committee. and for this hearing they were there. and it was -- it was great theater, and it started out very, very powerful moment. former -- everybody's in their

places, and right at the stroke of 10:30, former congress woman gabby giffords comes in accompanied by her husband mark kelly, and also accompanied by and sort of -- you know shepherding her was the chairman of the committee, patrick leahy, and chuck grassley both of whom extended this invitation to gabby giffords to come and speak about her experience. you know, she didn't have to say anything, but she did -- just to see her there reminds us of that horrible tragedy and how her great career was just ended abruptly by that crazed gunman out in tucson. she was the first one to speak even before the chairman or senator grassley. she spoke only 72 words. very hauntingly but very powerfully. first of all saying particularly after newtown we had to act.

>> violence is a big problem. too many children are dying. too many children. we must do something. >> bill: too many children. and, you know, we -- as we said earlier, she sounds like a six year old seven year old learning to read and reading out loud to a classroom for the first time. but to be able to get to there after being shot in the head is amazing. and she looked the senators in the eye and said this is the time for you to step up to the plate and act. >> you must act. be bold, be courageous americans are counting on you.

>> bill: senator leahy then spoke calling on all of the members of the panel to listen carefully, weigh the options and to come to some agreement and compromise on what is best for america. took the high road chuck grassley spoke as a ranking republican member and sounded like a grouch attacking president obama. a very political speech which i thought was discordant yesterday. there were two -- captain kelly, gabby giffords's husband, and the captain of the bald moore county sheriff's department james johnson who spoke very powerfully articulately and eloquently for common sense gun control measures, and then the other side of the panel, there

were three gun nuts on the panel. david coppel, a professor from denver, a woman gail trotter, and wayne lapierre from the nra. gail trotter was out of her mine. i mean, she said guns -- i got the exact quote here -- that guns have to -- guns keep women safe. guns keep women safe. guns make women safe is the exact quote. and every mother needs an ak-15 in the home to protect their kids. and of course wayne lapierre comes back and says the only answer is we have to make every school an armed camp. >> it's time to throw an immediate blanket of security around our children. about a third of our schools right now have armed security already, because it works, and

that somebody is growing every day. >> bill: so the question that nobody asked wayne lapierre yesterday, and which i keep wondering is so what happens -- so let's say you have a weapon -- every teacher, right has a teacher. what weapon? a handgun, rifle, shotgun? do you give them an assault weapon. how many round do you give them? 10, 15 rounds or 1, 1-00 round. and then where do they keep in gun? in the desk? on the desk? or do they lock it up in a closet, so that when the gunman comes into the classroom, they have to say, can you wait a minute, i have to get my key and unlock my closet and get my gun out. >> right. the only responsible way to keep

it in a school would be under lock and key. >> bill: of course. the only way to keep a gun responsibly at home is to lock it up, right? here is what was scary not to hear wayne lapierre say that not to her say every mother needed an ak-15, but to hear every republican senator on the committee agree with them. my question is why is this so difficult? are we going to finally be able to break the insanity and fare this year and do something about common sense gun control. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." ♪ i think the number one thing that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets

that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us.

you know who is coming on to me now? you know the kind of guys that do reverse mortgage commercials? those types are coming on to me all the time now. (vo) she gets the comedians laughing and the thinkers thinking. >>ok, so there's wiggle room in the ten commandments, that's what you're saying. you would rather deal with ahmadinejad than me. >>absolutely. >> and so would mitt romney. (vo) she's joy behar. >>and the best part is that current will let me say anything. what the hell were they thinking? ♪

>> announcer: this is the "bill press show." >> bill: twenty-six minutes after the hour. dylan byars will be here in the next segment, and we'll talk media. meanwhile yesterday a very dramatic moment on the floor of the united states senate. john kerry making his farewell address, pointing out he sat in the desk previously sat in by two previous kennedy brothers. >> this desk once belonged to president kennedy and ted kennedy. i can't help but reminded that even our nation's greatest leaders and all of the rest of us are merely temporary workers.

>> bill: and then he ended with a solute to his colleagues. >> forever the senate will be in my soul. i thank you all for your friendship, and the privilege of serving with you. thank you. [ applause ] >> bill: i tell ya he has been -- i think he is a great leader. he has been a great united states senator. he'll make a great secretary of state. i think he would have made a great president, too bad he ran such a dismal campaign and didn't fight back. and the new temporary senator will be mo cowen. >> i accept this post confidence in the knowledge i have gained working with you and the governor. you should be assured that i now

go to the nation's capitol every mindful of the people of massachusetts. >> bill: this will be an historic moment, it will be the first time ever two african-americans, united states senator, neither of whom by the way was elected. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." ♪ (vo) current tv gets the converstion started weekdays at 9am eastern. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. >> you are. >> the troops love me. (vo) tv and radio talk show host stephanie miller rounds out current's morning news block. >> you're welcome current tv audience for the visual candy. just be grateful current tv does not come in smellivision. the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv.

♪ >> announcer: chatting with you live at current.com/billpress. this is the "bill press show," live on your radio, and current tv. >> bill: my god. oh, my god there is a lot happening in the media world. sarah palin out of a job at fox.

dennis cuesinich taking her place. the big shake up and cnn. and there is a new, new republic. so the man of the hour is "politico"'s media critic media reporter dylan byars, good morning. >> hello, bill. >> bill: thanks for coming in this morning. >> my pleasure. >> bill: can we believe mike allen? >> he said today in play book that it was my birthday and he was right. so i trust him. >> bill: that's what i wanted to ask you. we have a surprise for you this morning. will you open the closet door

this morning. our closet gift. ♪ this is your birthday song it doesn't last too long ♪ >> bill: john boehner. [ applause ] >> my colleagues the second verse is exactly like the first verse. >> don't sing it. ♪ this your birthday song it doesn't last too long hey ♪ >> bill: how about that. >> that's the best birthday gift. >> bill: when you get john boehner to sing happy birthday to you. >> that's right. >> bill: sarah palin what happened? did she jump or was she pushed. >> i think based off of people i have talked to i think she was pushed. i think she was offered a lot less money than the reported $1 million her year that she had been offered per year. >> bill: yeah, and she had run

her course. >> i also think roger ailes knows you have to keep things relatively fresh. and sarah palin is a symbol of certain time period. >> bill: and what does she actually contribute? she certainly got some eyeballs in the beginning -- >> right. now that star has waned. how valuable was it to have her come on in a campaign in 2012 which she had nothing to do with it. >> bill: yeah, i forget 189,000 words every four years, but more it become she was just appearing on like greta. so they kept karl rove. >> yes. karl -- see they know that karl rove is going to be a valuables a set in 2014 2016 even if he

got it wrong this time around -- >> bill: even if he attacked his own network. >> yes, he is still a relevant political player. sarah palin is not a relevant political player and karl rove is. >> bill: he also know that sarah palin -- when she made the decision that she was not going to run for president in 2012 she did not announce it on fox news. >> yeah. >> bill: why did they hire dennis casinich. >> that's a great question. obviously fox news is conservative, but the number one goal is programming, and roger ailes wants to have people on there to yell at each other. they probably made him an offer

that was really good and now they have somebody on there that they can yell at. >> bill: i wonder if they'll give him the opportunity to express his opinions. >> yeah. >> bill: we saw each other last night at the launch of the new, new republic. i don't know how long the new republic has been around. it's sort of a middle of the road magazine, maybe center left. >> i think now under chris hughes who worked under the obama campaign in 2008 -- he is the new owner, so it is definitely a progress i magazine, but it wasn't have the editorial intent. >> bill: so chris hughes buys this magazine. they have a whole new look. they got an exclusive interview

with president obama in the oafal office. >> right. >> bill: but given that u.s. news and world report print magazine, news week no longer a print magazine. is this the day and age to buy a print magazine? >> if you have facebook money, i think it's like william randolph hurst who said something about at the rate he was losing money on his paper he could keep it alive for 60 more years. so why not. >> bill: why not because you could make more money by doing something that might have a future. >> for him i think it is being involved and having that under his belt and he'll try to find ways to make it work on line. he says it can be profitable. i don't know if that is true

but he'll try. >> bill: all right. cnn has a new boss jeff zucker coming over from nbc, and this week he made his first move. and long time contributes or again, he said no, thank you for a good run, but you are out of here. >> right. >> bill: so what does zucker -- is he going to remake the entire network? >> i think there is a core political stable that he will keep, and i think there is programming there that he likes, but he wants to expand the definition of what news is. he knows that news is more than just politics. he wants to bring in entertainment, sports coverage. he wants a morning show that can

actually compete. he was the executive producer of the today show. the morning show they have now is not working. cnn is a place where you go for breaking news not for personalities. he wants to start pushing personalities and shows that people tune in to every day regardless of what is going on. >> bill: i was talking to michael kensly who was theco host on the left of "cross fire," and when he resigned jerry and i got any job to replace him. we were talking about when we were at cnn. first of all it started as a joke. when ted turner said i'm going to start this network, everybody said yeah right.

the drunken ted turner is going to start -- but it was number one across the board. plus with breaking news it was even higher. i remember a big chart on the wall and with breaking news out of bounds. cnn is now in third place. can they get it back? >> yeah i think so. if you turn on during the day, they all look the same. if you put personalities and interesting people in there -- they don't have to be partisan, they just have to be interesting. then you can get people to start identifying with those people. >> there are so small changes. they have anthony boredane who

is going to start doing a show on the weekend. no other cable news network is doing anything like that. >> bill: i think solodad is a huge personality. but i think their prime time lineup sucks too. piers morgan? give me a break. >> eric burnett will probably move to the morning. aaron burnett will probably move to morning. here is the thing about piers morgan, i get the impression that jeff zucker really likes piers morgan. because he is at least a personality with an opinion. you either like him or you don't like him.

other guys you are like who cares. >> that hasn't translated in the ratings for piers morgan though. >> on the gun issue he has caught up or come close to -- >> alex -- i vote for that. >> bill: yeah, there is a lot happening on cnn, particularly in the cable world. dylan byars is here. he is the media reporter for "politico." we love to talk about the media business ours. 866-55-press, if you want to join the conversation give us a call. >> announcer: heard around the country and seen on current tv this is the "bill press show." ♪ important. this is not just a spectator sport.

i think the number one thing that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us. ♪

>> announcer: on your radio, and on current tv this is the "bill press show." >> bill: thirty minutes before the top of the hour, we are talking about a lot of the big shakeups and changes in the media world here with dylan byars from "politico." identity theft it knows no bounds. this poor guy, an army veteran in his 80s is now battling identity thieves. somebody stole his identity rerouted his mail and then started stealing his va

disability checks. identity theft is everywhere and i have protection with lifelock ultimate. of course lifelock can't protect you or your bank account if you are not a member. i encourage you to call now and mention press 60 for 60 free days of protection. if you are not happy give them a call within another 60 days and cancel, and they'll give you a full refund. make that call at 1-800-356-5967 for lifelock ultimate. speaking of the social media world, peter is on it. >> we're taking your comments, clark says cnn should seize the

opportunity of fox's declining ratings. and they are shrinking anderson cooper show -- >> bill: how so? >> he currently occupies two hours, and so they rerun him. and they might cut him to one hour. >> rj says he is excited to say anthony boredane's new show. and egor says happy birthday to dylan, but john boehner is probably a better singer than me. we'll have to get him to sing next time. [ laughter ] >> bill: overall everybody's ratings are down but i have read that fox's ratings are particularly down. what does that say?

have people had enough? does fox need a shake up as well? >> fox hit a 12-year low for its ratings. i think fox is fine. it's still doing better than the competition. i think one rating of that -- you talked about peaks and valleys, and one valley is not going to kill off fox. i think their demographic is very old, and at a certain point they have to indicator to a younger audience, and how they do that -- judging by demographic trends and the 2012 election, you know, their audience doesn't seem to be growing. it seems to be shrinking. >> bill: right. so this is maybe driving roger ailes insane or -- >> no, roger ailes is say what you will about him, he is a smart businessman. >> bill: he is. >> so he will figure it out. he will bring in new

programming. i think everybody has a post election hangover. i think that's one reason ratings are down. so i think he'll figure it out, bring in new programming, get rid of other programs and fox will do just fine. >> bill: in terms of where the media is going. this is like a doctoral dissertation but is -- like print and newspapers in two or five years they are not going to be there anymore are they? >> i'm really bullish about the media. i feel like everything will work it's a out. the "new york times" has shown itself to be very capable about adapting online.

>> bill: they have. >> if you look at the "chicago tribune" and l.a. times, you see rupert mourdock might swing in and pick up those papers and maybe give them a new life. i think some will die off like news week and others will survive and keep going. >> bill: if you look at the top of my favorite page it's daily color, daily beast the hill -- >> right. >> bill: it's all online. >> my dad gets the print edition of the "new york times" every morning, and right when he starts reading it, he picks up his phone and starts reading it online. >> bill: is the advertising revenue here to support that? >> no, not yet. but again, i'm bullish on that,

so i think they will figure it out. but right now, no online advertising doesn't get you a fraction of what you get in print. i think "politico" play book print on your doorstep every morning. >> bill: right. dylan byars good to see you today. happy birthday, man. >> thank you very much. >> bill: you got up early on your birthday. >> i got up early with a hangover. >> bill: all right. thank you. >> thanks bill. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show," live on your radio and current tv.

(vo) she gets the comedians laughing and the thinkers thinking. >>ok, so there's wiggle room in the ten commandments, that's what you're saying. (vo) she's joy behar. >>current will let me say anything. ♪

>> announcer: heard around the country, and seen on current tv this is the "bill press show." >> bill: how about it, three minutes before the top of the hour, tom buffenbarringer, the president of the machinist's union will be here in the next hour also want to talk to president buffenbarger show the latest figures show a big decline of labor members. and what are unions doing about getting their numbers back up. meanwhile on the president's schedule today has a very light schedule. that always makes me suspicious. but his only event on the public schedule today is the daily briefing. and jay carney will be briefing

today at the white house at 1:00 p.m. big hearing yesterday on gun violence in the senate judiciary committee. we'll tell you more about that. john kerry says farewell to the senate. and tomorrow hillary clinton says farewell to the department of state.

[♪ theme music ♪] >> bill: hey good morning, everybody. what do you say? it's the "full court press" on this thursday, thursday january 31st, great to see you

today. we are coming to you live coast-to-coast from our studio here on capitol hill in washington, d.c., and with our daily round up of today's news we'll tell you what is happening here in our nation's capitol, around the country and the globe, and we'll take your calls at 866-55-press. lots of job changes here in washington these days. john kerry making his farewell address to the senate yesterday. and then the governor of massachusetts appointing mo cowan to take his job temporarily. and take chuck hagel faces his confirmation hearing. you almost need a program to keep track of the players anymore this time in washington, d.c. we'll bring you up to date on that and everything else going on in the news today but first we get the latest from lisa

ferguson out in los angeles. >> hey bill good morning, everyone. the senate judiciary committee could consider a new gun as early as next month. yesterday's hearings sparked some serious testimony on gun control. patrick leahy says he plans to finish work on a bill by then of february. that means we could see a floor fight in the senate as soon as mid-march. this paves the way over a possible showdown. the nra has promised to block any sort of ban, and is not too keen on any other gun legislation either. lawmakers like diane feinstein and others are planning on holding submit tee hearings during the next few weeks.

we can expect senator feinstein so introduce that as an aamendment. and as hillary clinton moves out of her position as secretary of state she leaving her impact on gay rights throughout the world. she called gay rights and human rights one in the same. we'll be right back. ♪ 9am eastern. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. >> you are. >> the troops love me. (vo) tv and radio talk show host stephanie miller rounds out current's morning news block. >> you're welcome current tv audience for the visual candy. just be grateful current tv does not come in smellivision. the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv.

[♪ theme music ♪] >> announcer: broadcasting across the nation on your radio, and on current tv this is the "bill press show." >> bill: 60% approval rating. that's what president obama is holding down today, the highest in his entire time as president.

good to see you today folks. what do you say? it is thursday january 31st. and welcome to the "full court press" here on current tv your new progressive morning show bringing you up to date on all of the big stories of the day and the latest particularly here in our nation's capitol. but we'll not only tell you what is going on, we'll give you a chance to tell us what you think about it all in any way you can, any way you want to. lots of different possibilities, you can give us a call. you are join us on twitter @bp show, you can follow us on facebook at facebook@billpressshow. lots of changes here in our nation's capitol on the personnel front. john kerry making his farewell address to the senate yesterday.

and tomorrow secretary of state hillary clinton marks her last day at the state department, and today chuck hagel will face his confirmation hearing on being the next secretary of defense, and john brennan the same for being the next director of the cia. so we're keeping up with the moving players. and another tragic shooting in phoenix yesterday at the very time we were having a hearing on gun violence in this country. and the situation in egypt getting more and more rocky every day, and it looks like this new government may now be toppled by protesters. we'll bring you up to date on the latest and get your comments here on the "full court press." this thursday morning we start out by saluting and saying hello to team press. peter ogburn. >> happy thursday.

>> dan henning as well as siprion bolling on the video cam. well, you would think that this day and age, open discrimination, open homophobia might be a thing of the past especially if you are coming from california and especially on top of that if you are coming from san francisco, right? >> yeah. >> bill: wrong. no. chris culver plays for the 49ers, getting ready for the super bowl, said he is ready for anything except a gay man on his team. no, no way he says. >> what about gay guys? >> i don't do the gay guys man. >> are there any on the 49ers. >> no. i about it got no gay people on the team. can't be with that team. >> they might be able to play well. >> you are missing one of the

most fascinating interviews in the history of the world. >> can't be in the game or on the locker room -- >> so it would have to be a secret. >> bill: who is interviewing him? >> arty lang. >> bill: what an idiot -- not arty lang, but culver. >> can't deal with that sweet stuff. >> bill: people made the same argument about gays in the military. >> this is not new. we have heard these people say this but he is 24 years old. he is a young guy, and of the generation that grew up with gay people who are out of the main stream. it's not like what it used to be like when my parents and grand parents were growing up it was

a weird thing. >> bill: yeah, you would expect that from a 75-year-old guy or something. >> white man. >> bill: yeah. pretty scary. i -- i want do be at the candlestick park -- i think the 49ers still play there, the next home game when chris culver takes the field. >> that will be brutal. there was a member of the 49ers who was suspended last year for saying negative comments about the team. -- i don't think they are going to suspend chris culver for the super bowl but these are negative comments about the team. >> bill: i would that it's -- jim, i think right, who is the coach out there, or john? i would hope jim harbaugh today would say that is totally unacceptable for any team, especially for the 49ers.

tom buffenbarger president of the machinist union joining us later this hour. and two big issues have taken front and -- center but first. >> announcer: this is the "full court press." >> the hill reporting that ashley judd is getting a divorce from her race car driver husband. they have been married 11 years. judd was seen around washington over inauguration weekend without him by her side. >> bill: i don't know, you know, running for office having a race car driver as a husband. it could be a big asset. >> uh-huh. the mayor of denver, colorado has made good on his bet to the

mayor of baltimore. sent a case of cowboy cut steaks, and put out a youtube video of himself doing the touchdown dance. >> you might hurt yourself doing a ray lewis dance. >> yes but he did it. and the pornography community is praying today -- >> bill: the pornography community does not pray. >> the world's most famous porn star who has starred in over 2,000 films ron jeremy drove himself to the hospital with

chest pains. >> bill: how many porn films, has he -- >> over 2,000. >> bill: wow, i only starred in one -- >> that's a long story. >> bill: my last day i'll tell that story. >> the floor is yours. >> bill: yes, on immigration reform as i was saying -- i think the plans are finally aligned to do something about immigration reform. president obama taking the lead of course, talking about it in his inaugural address. you know he is going to talk about it in the state of the union as well. and then the gang of eight on the -- in the united states senate, four republicans and four democrats coming forward with their outline of the legislation that they are going to introduce, which including all of the essential elements

includes doing something about clamping down -- i'm sorry -- clamping down on employer who hire undocumented workers, more security at the border, and offers a path to citizenship for the 11 million people who have put down roots in this community. they are here. they have been here a long time. right now they are law-abiding citizens. they are paying taxes. they have got their families. they have got their homes. kids in school. kids in the military. they have got their jobs. they have got everything accept being american citizens. yesterday at a little forum here in washington, d.c. sponsored by "politico," chuck schumer, lead democrat was asked how it came together that democrats and

republicans were able to join forces on immigration when back in 2007 it was republicans who shot down president bush's attempt to get comprehensive immigration reform. chuck schumer. >> i said hi lindsay and he said lindsay is one of the most effervescent, he said the band is back. and the next moment he said and i talked to john mccain and he wants to get back involved and my heart went pitter patter because that meant we could get something done. >> bill: so lindsay graham called him up and said let's get into it. but not all republicans are going along with john mccain and lindsay graham. the fourth member of the four republicans is marco rubio from

florida. david vitter from louisiana says that rubio is out of touch when he talks about doing a path to citizenship for the 11 million people. >> i love and respect mark i think he is just amazingly naive on this issue. this is the same old formula we have dealt with before, and that is promises of enforcement and immediate amnesty, and of course the promises of enforcement never materialize. the amnesty happens immediately, the millisecond the bill is signed into law. >> bill: and senator rubio, while he generally supports this -- does support this set of principles that the gang of eight released today, he has been critical of president obama

saying he hasn't done enough about border security. president obama giving an interview yesterday slamming back and saying you don't know what you are talking about. >> we put border security ahead of pathway to citizenship. we have done more in the past years than in the prior 20. >> bill: there are more drones. and our economy is not doing very well, so there aren't as many jobs available. but the number of people coming across the border is way, way down. immigration reform looks like it is finally going to happen again, the key elements have to be the three of better enforcement at the border better enforcement at the plants

against employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers, but it must include a path so citizenship. so do you think it is going to happen? 866-55-press. and should it? 866-557-7377. but ronald reagan back in 1986, president ronald reagan said quote, i believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and lived here even though sometime back they may have entered illegally. so the key question ronald reagan said was not did they come here illegally way, way back sometime? >> that's not the important question. the important question is what contribution are they making to

this country today. on immigration reform 866-55-press. >> announcer: heard around the country, and seen on current tv this is the "bill press show." ♪ right have, about the "heavy hand of government" ... i want to have that conversation. really? you know i'd like to arm our viewers with the ability to argue with their conservative uncle joe over the dinner table.

alright, in 15 minutes we're going to do the young turks. i think the number one thing that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they know that i'm not bs'ing them with some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know that i'm going to be the first one to call them out. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us.

♪ >> announcer: chatting with you live at current.com/billpress. this is the "bill press show," live on your radio, and current tv. >> bill: here we go, twenty-four minutes after the hour. thursday january 31st. it is the "full court press" here on current tv and on your local progressive talk radio station. good to see you today. we're talking about immigration

reform and gun control, the two big issues in front of the senate. and what else is going on? >> bill it seems like just last week we were seeing president obama being sworn into his second term in office. 60% of americans view president obama favorably. this is the highest he has seen since 2009. that was the first year of his first term. he had 79%. >> bill: well, yeah. >> that is a big deal. >> bill: 60 is huge for a president at this time and i'll tell you why, it is because he is leading. he is taking the initiative. he is tough, and he is out there

fighting the good fight unlike the barack obama we saw in the first term where he was always trying to compromise -- >> and this was done after his inauguration speech. so people responded positively to that. so if he needs any proof that he needs to really deliver those promises -- >> bill: yeah, it is working. he is in the driver's seat now. >> absolutely. >> bill: richard down in palm beach, florida. >> caller: good morning. i just wanted to say don't be surprised if the republicans push back on immigration reform heavily. if the undocumented workers have to pay their back taxes, then they have to find out where these workers were working. if you do that then you have to

prosecute the employers that hired them. the congressmen and senators are in the pocket of the corporations. so they will pay these guys a lot of money to try to kill this bill. because they will have to be prosecuted, and in many cases they take the taxes out of the paycheck, but never turn it over to the government. >> bill: woe. really? >> caller: oh, yeah especially if they are in the landscaping business. so they are going to have to go after the corporations, and i guarantee you the republicans will try to do everything they can to make this sound like amnesty and blame it on the democrats, because the way you get out of prosecuting employers is to raise amnesty. >> bill: you raised an interesting question there, and i -- in this sense -- george bush had a good immigration

plan, i believe. it was killed -- he brought it up in 2004, 2006 and i think 2007 three different times. and each time it was shot down and killed not by democrats, by his fellow republicans. so if anybody kills immigration this time around little be republicans again. good point. sarah is in tannersville pennsylvania. >> caller: i would like to bring it to another level [ inaudible ] free trade area where a big sweat shop was built and they pay those mexicos $1 to $1.65. of course they can't live on that. it's obvious people are not going to stay and starve. they are going to run out which is what they have been doing. so i would like to see a conversation around nafta. >> bill: and also i think a point you make is about the

mexican economy. i have heard several commentators make the point both on this side of the border and south of the border that the real answer in reducing the number of people fleeing to the united states for jobs is to make mexico safer and put more jobs down there. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." coming on to me all the time now. (vo) she gets the comedians laughing and the thinkers thinking. >>ok, so there's wiggle room in the ten commandments, that's what you're saying. you would rather deal with ahmadinejad than me. >>absolutely. >> and so would mitt romney. (vo) she's joy behar. >>and the best part is that current will let me say anything. what the hell were they thinking?

[♪ theme music ♪] >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." ♪ >> bill: thirty-three minutes after the hour now on this thursday, january 31st. good to see you today, and thank you for joining us on the "full court press," coming to you live all across this great land of ours on your local progressive

talk radio station and still on current tv and we're in our nation's capitol and brought to you today, the show by the international association of machinists, the good men and women under president tom buffenbarger sharpening america's edge for the global economy. you bet. you can find out more about their information by going to their website goim.org or just ask the president of the union if we happens to stop in the studio, which he has. >> hey, look at that. >> bill: good to see you. >> good to be here. and belated but happy new year. >> bill: we have been debating on how late you can say happy

new year, and my rule is the first time you see a friend you can say happy new year. >> that's right. i have followed that as long as i can remember. >> bill: well, dan has a brutal rule of january 4th. >> january 4th. >> he believes in cutting it off, it should be january 6th, which is the peace of the circumcision. >> there you go. i can extent it to that. that sounds like a good feast. >> i remember my lessons from jewish school. >> bill: all right. many, many things i want to ask you about, i'll start here and it's hard to follow that. this headline union membership continues to slide. last year union membership was

down 400,000 11.3% of the work force in 2011 it was 11.8% of the work force. so what is going on? it seems to me that this is a time when men and women need protection of the unions more than ever, and yet they are not joining up. >> it's not that they are not joining, because i know in the machinist and other unions they are having an experience with growth and members signing up. the problem that we can cite in this case is the result of the last couple of years of union bashing, especially upon public employees. every time you turn around somebody takes a shot a teachers and county and municipal workers. and we know what has happened in several states to try to break the unions. so they have eliminated these

positions. states like wisconsin, michigan, indiana, that believe in this idea of right to work. well, it's right to work for less. not only are there less union members, there's less wage increases, less wages, and it affects the quality of life in those states and so there's a bigger battle brewing in america now to try to recapture and make people understand what the value of unions were. we're not -- we haven't outlived our usefulness because -- and some people have said that especially some of the right-wing politicians -- >> bill: right. you want all of the gains you can. >> yes, and if they get rid of us, you see those gains go away. >> bill: and the federal government is shrinking, and that means that jobs are being

lost, and those are union members who are disappearing. >> well, and bill it's not just as sample as the union jobs or the members of the employees, they may not belong to a union are disappearing it's also the services those people perform which are valuable in america, which provide a positive benefit to the economies of cities counties, states and certainly the federal government. we're contracting and with that goes services. so it has a -- it's a downward spiral as to though quality of life in america. >> bill: are unions fighting back to try to get the message out, look, here is what we do. here is what we offer. and here is what these people are trying to do to us? is there a concerted effort -- >> all of the labor

organizations, bill, are working hard to get a message out. the machinist, i can speak to the best is not only do we try to portray the positive image in a more public way, our primary obligation is to make sure our members are educated informed and we can secure for them a -- a good sustainable wage plan of benefits for them and their families to keep america's economy moving forward. however, we go to extra lengths in the machinists. we have started things -- you may have heard about yrcubed. u with a little 3. we started this as an effort to

reach out to a large segment of society, it's called people without jobs, the unemployed. >> bill: oh, yeah. >> we organize them into cubes. and that becomes a community, and then it just grows on to a bigger pyramiding structure. doesn't cost anything but it has become an avenue to inform and educate people and we saw the effect of that culminate on election day, when we can put out a message to the members of u-cubed, unemployed americans, and pass that on to their friends, those companies that measure this saw that we reached 82 million americans with this. >> bill: woe. >> so we use this now -- >> bill: unemployed americans and their connections. >> yes. so we used this to start to

raise the issue. just because the economy in some sectors appears to be recovering some, it is not in all, and there are still far too many americans unemployed without jobs, and we have to raise that voice and draw that at attention to the politicians. the work didn't end when they were sworn into office. it just began. >> bill: it wasn't so long ago that we were talking jobs jobs jobs, and i do this every day, right, three hours a day. you hear talk about it's immigration, guns, global warming or it's the deficit, or the debt ceiling or whatever. it has been a long time since i heard people here in the congress or even from the white house talk about jobs. what is happening on the jobs front out there? it is getting any better? >> we see only a marginal

improvement in some sectors of the manufacturing economy, but there's tremendous pressure upon employers right now uncertain about the economic condition of this country and the follies of our congress, not to be able to make a decision on this so they are withholding investment. they are sitting on piles of cash that could be plowed -- >> bill: still today? >> today. that could be plowed into reinvestment to produce products america needs and the rest of the world. >> bill: have the employers realized they can make more money with fewer employees and that is why they are not hiring? this has been going on for a while, right? >> it's oftentimes i criticize the business community for being such short-term thinkers. it's the bottom line on the

quarterly if not monthly or weekly report. and long-term thinking -- those who practice it have disappeared. now this is one of the results of not being able to practice for the long term or plan for the long term is not going what the economic direction of our economy, of our government of our programs is going to be. much of that is rooted in what congress approves. so if people are uncertain, just like we are in operating our own households, you're not too quick to go out and make a big purchase or investment. you are going to hold your dollars closer to your vest. >> bill: so you are saying when the congress extends the debt ceiling for example for only three months or when they don't pass a budget or kick the sequester can down the road all of this has --

>> -- a negative effect upon people's ability to plan and think through what they are going to do. sequestration is very dangerous because it effects not just civilian jobs it affects the all if i of our military and having people able to respond to a situation at anytime. if they were going to make the cuts -- make the cuts then so people know what to do. don't keep kicking the can down the road. i would think this is not the time to make those cuts. but the -- the inability of congress to act is is just devastating to all of us trying to make our way through this country. >> bill: yeah, and we'll be back into that soup it looks like in just a couple of weeks. your questions about the economy in general. we didn't get to the fact that the gdp fell. we'll get to that with the

president tom buffenbarger of the machinists. your comments welcome at 866-55-press or on twitter@bpshow. >> announcer: radio meets television, the "bill press show" now on current tv. ♪ converstion started weekdays at 9am eastern. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. >> you are. >> the troops love me. (vo) tv and radio talk show host stephanie miller rounds out current's morning news block. >> you're welcome current tv audience for the visual candy. just be grateful current tv does not come in smellivision. the sweatshirt is nice and all but i could use a golden lasso. (vo) only on current tv.

i want the people who watch our show, to be able to come away armed with the facts, and the arguments to feel confident in their positions. i want them to have the data and i want them to have the passion. ♪ >> announcer: on your radio, and on current tv this is the "bill press show." >> bill: twelve minutes now before the top of the hour here on the "full court press" this thursday morning, january 31st. good to see you today.

honored to have in studio with us president tom buffenbarger of the machinist union. and we have listeners and viewers here on the phone -- couple of questions for you are you ready to go? >> yes. >> bill: don coming from tampa, florida. good morning. >> caller: good morning, bill, thanks for taking my call. i was concerned -- pretty concerned -- we have a democratic president here the last four years now, and, you know, you have seen michigan and indiana both go right to work and i was wondering if there is any plans that the unions are going to have to -- you know i know it's hard to turn these states but the direction of right to work i have never seen a state go from right to work back to not right to work especially michigan. >> bill: all right. you have got the right man, don.

thanks for the call. i think he is right. >> don is right on. this is -- my man here who just asked that question. i -- i have been vocal about this in the past with the flcio. i am sick and tired of defending what union workers do and contribute to this country, and watching these states and governors and legislatures want to take unions out of the picture, when in fact there are states we should be fighting to take back. >> bill: yeah. >> from right to work. and there are states that are vulnerable to this. and it's getting -- no one union can accomplish this by itself but i think if we are careful and do our job correct, there are states we should put the right to work committee on the defensive, and take those states back. >> bill: the best defense, right, a good offense. >> offense.

>> bill: where would you start? michigan? >> nope. i don't want to tip my hand because we are having a conversation. there are a couple of states that are vulnerable. >> bill: okay. come back and tell us -- >> everybody will know by the time that hits. the people at the national chamber of commerce will just go crazy -- >> bill: i love it. we want to be part of that campaign when you start it. >> you got it. and thank you for that question. >> bill: and that's the way to go. >> yes. >> bill: don't keep playing catch up with these guys to try to defend it. go out and make the case and let's give the workers in this state the protection that they deserve. >> absolutely. >> bill: all right. hello sam in chicago. >> caller: good morning. first off, first time caller this year. >> bill: okay. >> i just want to say happy new year to both of you.

>> bill: thank you. [ laughter ] >> caller: second off, i am a proud 25-year iamm member. >> thank you. >> caller: kudos to both of you. my biggest concern being in charge of the largest automotive local in the country, in regards to organizing giving people a free choice to join hands down we will gain membership left and right. one of our biggest hurdles that we face on a day-to-day basis is lack of legislation, to go after the employers that maliciously fire the spear header of a campaign -- >> bill: yeah, hey, sam just in the interest of time. i think we got your question i want to give the president a chance to answer. >> he is absolutely correct, and he does lead the biggest

automotive local in the nation and they are very active and very successful. so i want to say thanks to sam for that. but the issue that he points out -- how are -- it's not just the employers that want to deny a worker from the right to make a decision to join a union or not. it's also our own government at the federal and certainly the state levels that enact legislation that keep putting up roadblocks and barriers and in this country, your right to join a union is a civil right, and we need to start portraying it as such, and fighting for it as such, just as we did to secure the rights for everyone to be able to vote and participate in government. people need to understand this right is a very sacred civil right, and if we get that we're going to be able to grow unions,

and people will better their lives. >> bill: absolutely. and maybe we could even get something called the employee free choice act. >> we got to give it a better name. but i would think civil rights for union members or employees. >> bill: or bill of rights for union members or something. >> yeah. >> bill: we talked about that last year, but haven't given up on it. tom buffenbarger great to have you in studio with us. >> great to be with you bill and best of luck in all of the changes. >> bill: yeah, we have a hell of a year coming up. thanks for coming in and i'll be back with a quick parting shot. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show."

i think the number one thing that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us. ♪

>> announcer: the parting shot with bill press. this is the "bill press show." >> bill: on this thursday january 31st, well my parting shot today the battle over gun control legislation began yesterday with that big hearing, i was in the audience it was quite a show, very powerful opening by former congress woman gabby giffords who told the senator we must do something, americans are counting on you. and she was followed by panel of five witnesses, three pro gun, two pro-sensible gun control. and those three pro-gun people were scary. they were crazy. they were nuts. this woman gail trotter of the independent women's forum insisting, for example, that guns make women safer and that